Kia EV3
The amount of new electric cars hitting the market seems to be growing exponentially, so much so in fact that it’s getting tricky to keep up. Not only are our roads now home to manufacturers that until recently hadn’t even been heard of in the UK, but long established brands are adding new EVs to their portfolios at a rate of knots.
Believe it or not, Kia is a brand that’s undoubtedly now considered as long established in Britain and Europe, and their range of EVs has gone down very well, very well indeed. From the slightly outlandish EV6 to the imposing EV9, Kia doesn’t appear to have gone far wrong, so surely they’re due a bit of a bump in the road, aren’t they?
Well this is the EV3, coincidentally their third electric vehicle built from the ground up to be powered solely by batteries. It’s their smallest pure EV and at about the same size as a family hatchback is predicted to be the model that fits in with most households.
Styling cues from the EV9
At a glance it’s clear to see the EV3’s lineage. It’s by no means an EV9 that’s been shrunk in the wash but the face, wheel-arches & futuristic, slimline feature head and tail lights have made the transition down the family tree with little lost in translation.
Inside the EV3 there’s more room to stretch out in than you might expect. The batteries are located under everyone’s feet but they’re very low slung so the floor is flat and nobody sits with their knees around their ears.
What’s it like inside?
Design-wise, it’s just the right side of minimalist without making searching for important controls a faff. Everything feels oversized and a bit chunky, not least of which the steering-wheel in our Air spec version that combines a squircle design and a massive central boss. The plastics are decent enough until you venture very low down. Kia should be commended for their use of recycled materials inside the EV3 but it does seem a little short-sighted to use light colours on high contact areas such as the central console and door pulls.
Speaking of doors, one aspect of the EV3’s design that needs a rethink are its front door handles. They’re flush affairs which leave clean lines and help aero, probably, but the way they operate can be infuriating. Even with above average size hands, it’s nigh-on impossible to open the door with one hand and you’re probably more likely to re-lock the doors you’ve just unlocked. The good news is every spec except Air gets auto handles but that should be standard fit really.
How much is it?
Despite its SUV-ish looks, the EV3 is currently available with its front wheels driven only. There’s three trim levels; Air, GT-Line & GT-Line S, starting at £33,005 for the only model with ‘standard’ range, going all the way up to £43,905 for the GT-Line S version with a heat pump. So all EV3s are long range with an 81.4kWh battery except the cheapest which comes with a 58.3kWh battery. To be fair, even the standard range EV3 manages a claimed 270 miles combined which isn’t too shabby but the rest are even more impressive at 375 miles.
All EV3s have 201bhp which equates to a 0-62mph time of 7.5s in the standard range model and 7.7s in the rest thanks to the extra weight of the battery. That acceleration is fast enough without being spectacular in electric car terms and that just about sums up the EV3 driving experience as a whole.
All about the comfort
This is a compact, family SUV at the end of the day so its remit shouldn’t be about performance or providing a white knuckle ride. This isn’t a car that’s trying to compete on a rally stage, it’s about a comfortable, relaxing ride with as little drama as possible, and that’s what it achieves so if you want excitement you’d best look elsewhere.
Anyone with an aversion to the compulsory driver aides all modern cars come with are going to get pretty sick of all the binging and bonging in the EV3. They’re easy enough to switch off, once you know how but they really needn’t be quite so overbearing in the first place. Having driven some brand new cars recently with a far more subtle approach, it clearly can be done whilst sticking to the rules and it’s going to start swaying buyers towards the least irritating. You have been warned.
Should I buy an EV3?
Now, we know over £33k is still a lot of money, however you look at it but the EV3 represents good value when you look at what you actually get. Every EV3 comes with heated front seats and steering wheel, USB-C sockets front and rear, front and rear parking sensors and that 12.3″ touchscreen. It probably is a wise investment to spend a few extra quid a month to upgrade to a long range model, though.
By Ben Harrington
The Kia EV3 is available now, priced from £33,005. For full details go to: www.kia.com
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